Fantasy Football: One Overvalued Player From Each Team
LeGarrette Blount, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Positional ADP: RB23 | Projected Finish: RB32
LeGarrette Blount was second in rushing attempts and led the league in rushing touchdowns last year. Unfortunately for him, he's not with the New England Patriots anymore.
Let's compare Blount's seasonal averages before he arrived in New England to the two seasons he spent there.
| Split | Rushes | Rushing NEP | Rushing NEP/ per rush | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-New England | 140.8 | -4.0 | -0.03 | 42.1% |
| New England | 232.0 | 2.1 | 0.01 | 39.3% |
Blount wasn't bad before, but outside of the Patriots' elite offense, he hasn't been as potent, which is to be expected.
In addition to losing some efficiency, Blount will lose scoring opportunities. The Patriots are the top team in our power rankings, and they also rank ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles in terms of rushing offense. Last year, the Patriots scored on 43 percent of their drives. The Eagles scored on just 37.5 percent of theirs.
The final factor to consider is that Blount offers next to nothing as a pass catcher. That wasn't a problem in New England, when he often played with a lead. Philadelphia isn't going to be running to protect leads nearly as often as the Patriots. Blount is probably fine as a flex play for fantasy teams, but his ADP his crept into RB2 (top-24) territory, so I'll pass.
Instead Try
Paul Perkins has a similar ADP and projection, but he offers more potential as a receiver, meaning he's less likely to be a victim of poor game script. If you've been paying attention, you'll remember that Frank Gore also has a better situation and much lower ADP.
